Today's post is by guest writer Keith Ward.
It seems that some fail to grasp figurative language and some apparently are unaware that it exists, though they use it every day. Many have correctly condemned the attitude behind having "Born to Lose" as a motto for life. But, in the song the phrase is wrested from, it means something else entirely. There might even be a lesson there about Bible study. If you never heard the song, which was old when Ray Charles sang it, the quotes below are from that song.
A favorite preacher often says, “If you have missed heaven, you have surely missed it all. It would matter nothing if you were successful on every other level and happy every day of your life."
Is there nothing in your life that had you missed it, then your whole life would seem a loss? “Born to Lose” expresses that idea. Had I missed Dene, “every dream would bring me only pain,” and I would feel that, “I’ve lived my life in vain,” and, “All my life I’ve always been so blue.” It would color my life so that no success, no joy would truly be happy or good.
“Breathes there man with soul so dead” (or woman) who has no one that means that much? Have you told her lately? [Scott, "My Native Land"]
If everyone who knows you does not know that about you, is it true?
With the idea in mind that “Born to Lose” refers to an event that so alters one’s perspective in life in a negative way that it seems that he was born that way, let us examine a couple of Bible phrases.
“Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” Psa 51:5 (ASV)
“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. “ (ESV)
At a moment when you perceived the depth of the wickedness that you have done, maybe a recent one or in a wakeful moment in the night reviewing your life, have you never felt that way? In other words, “My whole life has been sin to the bone?” It seems to me that such passages as these have nothing to say about the state of one at birth or conception. They express in a strong way, a poetic way, the depth of awareness of one’s own sinfulness that he has done.
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations." Jer 1:5
Having seen this on a number of billboards along the interstates expressing opposition to abortion, and with my thinking supercharged by the adrenaline of dodging all the idiots for whom the hope of arriving a few minutes less late is worth the risk of their lives and ours, I realize that as used, literally, it expresses the Mormon view that souls exist prior to conception. Instead, when the passage is seen figuratively, God is expressing the depth to which he knows Jeremiah’s character and the confidence with which he appoints him to the prophetic office. It is not intended to express any truth regarding birth.
And, so with these and numerous other instances, we realize that God communicates with us the way we do with others, by figures of speech. And yes, the Bible means exactly what it says, it just does not always mean the literal dictionary meaning of the words used. When we say a man would "give the shirt off his back," we are not even talking about shirts! Nor was Jesus talking about eye problems when he said to remove the beam from your own eye so you can see to take the mote from your brother's.
Many a false doctrine and unsound interpretation is based upon the foolishness of making God's figures of speech into literally exact dictums.
We need to lighten up. Because it is "THE BIBLE" does not mean that we do not use normal means to understand it. That is the way God communicates.
But we received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is from God; that we might know the things that were freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Spirit teaches; combining spiritual things with spiritual words. (1Cor 2:12-13)
Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (Eph 5:17)
Keith Ward
It seems that some fail to grasp figurative language and some apparently are unaware that it exists, though they use it every day. Many have correctly condemned the attitude behind having "Born to Lose" as a motto for life. But, in the song the phrase is wrested from, it means something else entirely. There might even be a lesson there about Bible study. If you never heard the song, which was old when Ray Charles sang it, the quotes below are from that song.
A favorite preacher often says, “If you have missed heaven, you have surely missed it all. It would matter nothing if you were successful on every other level and happy every day of your life."
Is there nothing in your life that had you missed it, then your whole life would seem a loss? “Born to Lose” expresses that idea. Had I missed Dene, “every dream would bring me only pain,” and I would feel that, “I’ve lived my life in vain,” and, “All my life I’ve always been so blue.” It would color my life so that no success, no joy would truly be happy or good.
“Breathes there man with soul so dead” (or woman) who has no one that means that much? Have you told her lately? [Scott, "My Native Land"]
If everyone who knows you does not know that about you, is it true?
With the idea in mind that “Born to Lose” refers to an event that so alters one’s perspective in life in a negative way that it seems that he was born that way, let us examine a couple of Bible phrases.
“Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” Psa 51:5 (ASV)
“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. “ (ESV)
At a moment when you perceived the depth of the wickedness that you have done, maybe a recent one or in a wakeful moment in the night reviewing your life, have you never felt that way? In other words, “My whole life has been sin to the bone?” It seems to me that such passages as these have nothing to say about the state of one at birth or conception. They express in a strong way, a poetic way, the depth of awareness of one’s own sinfulness that he has done.
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations." Jer 1:5
Having seen this on a number of billboards along the interstates expressing opposition to abortion, and with my thinking supercharged by the adrenaline of dodging all the idiots for whom the hope of arriving a few minutes less late is worth the risk of their lives and ours, I realize that as used, literally, it expresses the Mormon view that souls exist prior to conception. Instead, when the passage is seen figuratively, God is expressing the depth to which he knows Jeremiah’s character and the confidence with which he appoints him to the prophetic office. It is not intended to express any truth regarding birth.
And, so with these and numerous other instances, we realize that God communicates with us the way we do with others, by figures of speech. And yes, the Bible means exactly what it says, it just does not always mean the literal dictionary meaning of the words used. When we say a man would "give the shirt off his back," we are not even talking about shirts! Nor was Jesus talking about eye problems when he said to remove the beam from your own eye so you can see to take the mote from your brother's.
Many a false doctrine and unsound interpretation is based upon the foolishness of making God's figures of speech into literally exact dictums.
We need to lighten up. Because it is "THE BIBLE" does not mean that we do not use normal means to understand it. That is the way God communicates.
But we received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is from God; that we might know the things that were freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Spirit teaches; combining spiritual things with spiritual words. (1Cor 2:12-13)
Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (Eph 5:17)
Keith Ward
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